“Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37, NKJV
Growing older, like most challenges in life has its ups and downs and pros and cons. Like I say at the end of my email correspondence, “If we live long enough, the wisdom of winter experienced through aging is priceless when compared to the springtime of youth.” However, physically speaking, a decline in some areas can be an annoyance at best. For example, my hearing, well, let us just say it is not what it used to be! When trying to hear in a crowded noisy room, I have learned the art of reading lips, or just smiling when that fails.
For those of us who follow Jesus Christ and read the Bible in search of His will, we do not need a hearing aid to “hear” Him “speak.” Sometimes, when I seek direction while facing a difficult situation or decision, God quickens me to recall instructions He has given through Scripture I have read or studied at some point in time. Oftentimes, He gives me encouragement from another follower of Jesus. Then, perhaps even more profoundly, He gives me insight that might lend a word of encouragement to someone else.
As Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate on trial for claiming to be “King of the Jews,” Jesus said, “‘For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:37-38). Instead of focusing on “hearing” Jesus’ voice, the God of Creation standing right in front of Him, Pilate questioned the idea that anyone can take ownership of the truth. Indeed, Jesus who said, “…I am the truth” was the answer to the question Pilate asked.
In this season of reflection on who Jesus was and still is in the world in your life and mine, are you listening as He speaks? You do not need a hearing aid. He cuts through the noise of this crazy world if you are willing to receive Him. Know this truth; Jesus loves you!
For deeper study, read John 18:19-38.
We have all heard the saying, “you cannot be in two places at one time.” While no one would argue the reality that physically, no one can be in two places at the same time, I believe this physics fact has a caveat we rarely consider, and I will attempt to prove it. Have you ever been driving your car, deep in thought, when you arrived at your destination and suddenly realized you have no conscious recollection of the scenery in between where you started the journey and ended? Or perhaps you have had a conversation with someone when the only thing you hear is, “So, what do you think?” You have no idea what the topic is because your mind was somewhere else, which can be very embarrassing. Well, I must confess to having experienced both scenarios and know that one can be in two places at one time, one physical and the other, mental.
When things are hard, life has a way of triggering the human desire to “find our happy place.” Circumstances can make us uncomfortable, or we wish we were any place different than where we are; it is then we do have a choice. Another more current phrase is “we cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we react to them.” As a disciple of Jesus Christ, resilience, and joy in the face of turmoil and strife are gifts from God.
Many times, throughout the New Testament, followers of Jesus were persecuted and imprisoned for their faith, yet time after time while their bodies suffered, they sang and praised God. Our world in the year 2024 promises to be tumultuous as we in the United States prepare for national elections and the war in the Middle East continues. While God wants us to be knowledgeable and prepared, He does not want us to be fearful. Pray for our leaders, trust in God, and be joyful no matter your circumstances. Be resilient and remember, joy comes from the Lord.
For deeper study, read Matthew 24:6-13.
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day…while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 & 18, NKJV.
“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Hebrews 12:14, NLT.
Melancholy is an emotion I have experienced all my life. When I began elementary school seventy years ago, I cried every single morning about leaving home and heading to school. While you might think this malady lasted only a few days until I adjusted to the new routine, you would be mistaken; I cried every day until reaching third grade! Psychiatrists would no doubt have a “hay day” trying to break down this emotional mountain, but alas, we are a long way from the mountains base, so let us just plow on.
Many people throughout history have suffered from melancholy, which is a form of depression often observed as feelings of sadness for no apparent reason. For example, as I write these words I am temporarily away from my home in Virginia. The surroundings are beautiful where I am, and the destination purpose is in fact for vacation. So, why am I homesick? Well, in Virginia are my family, my dog, Reesey, and cat, Foxy, all of whom bring me joy and comfort in the place where we do life together daily.
Since becoming a follower of Jesus Christ, while the melancholy has not gone away, I have a different way of looking at it through an eternal perspective. The scripture verse from Hebrews describes “our permanent home…yet to come” for all who believe and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Although, we who are alive have never seen this “home,” the more one reads about it in the Bible, and the closer one grows in relationship to Jesus, then the deeper one’s longing becomes to get there in God’s perfect timing.
Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3, NKJV).
For deeper thought, read John 14.
“I’ll forgive, but I’ll never forget!” This is a statement probably with which all of us are familiar, either by hearing or possibly declaring ourselves. No one wants to be thought of as unforgiving, but we think it only reasonable, and perhaps even logical, to never forget a grievance done against us.
Forgiveness is a beautiful word; it has undertones of generosity and righteousness of character; it feels good from the vantage point of both an undeserved offender and the offended giver, that is until the offense is remembered at some future date. I am embarrassed to confess that forgiving others when I have been deeply wounded is a struggle in my growth as a follower of Jesus Christ. Recently, in a conversation with a dear friend, he and I discussed the topic of forgiveness, during which the breaking down of the word gave clarity I had never considered. Think about this – a “sin,” or an offense is some action perpetrated upon another person; the action might cause physical scars but certainly, emotional, or mental scars. Can we willfully makethe scars go away? If you are a suffering victim, the process of healing wounds is more about your relationship with the Healer than with your offender.
To “never forget” is an exercise of resurrecting memories, both good and bad. To “never forget” means looking behind where we have been, rather than ahead to where we are going. We cannot change where we have been. By taking a little literary license, I would like to offer another way of looking at the word, forgiveness. A simple change to the prefix, fore, presents another option for dealing with offenses. Instead of looking back and remembering, we can take our hurts and scars and fore–give them over to Jesus, whose life on the cross and blood forgave us. After Jesus arose from the grave, He still bore the scars of the crucifixion. Today, with His nail-scarred hands, He wants you and me to hand over our scars to Him – this action is called, forgiveness.
For deeper thought, read John 20.
If you can, imagine nothingness.
When we read that “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made…” to fully grasp this reality is impossible for you and me. Think about it; from absolutely nothing, everything we see, hear, or even imagine is possible only by the voice of God. The reality of this powerful truth leads me to wonder, what is going on in the realm of what we cannot experience through the human senses?
We hear much today about “trusting science.” With all the wonders upon which humankind has embarked, every discovery, invention, and cure are a byproduct of what God has already created.
To try and illustrate my point, the next time you cook or bake something from scratch and retrieve the necessary items for the finished product from the pantry or refrigerator, think of “creating from scratch” as a misnomer. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, one noun definition of “scratch” is “from a point at which nothing has been done ahead of time.” Therefore, every underpinning for a Nobel prize, every generation of technology, and every science discovery in the world, including the perplexing AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the result of using the substance of what God already spoke into existence.
By the same Sovereign Authority who commanded the stars to align and the sun and moon to hang in their heavenly places, so does He direct our path. How awesome is this thought!
Lord God, in these days of uncertainty, when I feel so little control over what is happening in the world, help me trust in You, the One who holds all things together “by the breath of His mouth.” Amen.
For deeper thought, read Psalm 33.
Almost every morning, my daughter calls me on the phone; generally, we have no agenda, only a desire to hear each other’s voice. For example, today she called and while we spoke for over two hours, I could not tell you what kept us engaged for that length of time. We simply enjoyed visiting.
The Book of Psalms is mostly a compilation of “calls” from King David to God. God referred to David as “a man after My own heart.” (Acts 13:22). So, what was so special about David that God referenced him in such an endearing way? David’s life, while God chose him to lead the people of Israel, was splattered with sin and poor judgement at times. But David always spoke to God, even when, and perhaps especially when his actions were darkest, and the outcome looked bleak. God loved David because David loved God enough to trust Him with everything, good or not so good; they shared a real relationship.
In the year 2024, ask God to show you how to be a person “after [His] own heart.” Using David as our example, let us include God along with the other daily relationships we nurture by talking to Him and then, to hear from Him read His Word. Like all relationships, growth and depth are the results of time spent together through both good and bad circumstances. Talk to God. Tell Him everything and experience a friendship like no other in this world. He loves you, lavishly!
For deeper understanding, read: Psalm 139:1-18.
A children’s activity that seems to have stood the test of time is one I really enjoyed playing growing up. In fact, my grandchildren also had one of these toys and maybe you did too. Unlike many of the 21st century toys, this timeless gadget required no batteries, no plugs or cords, and no electricity. Simple by design, it consisted of three parts, a small paddle, a one inch in diameter rubber ball, and a long thin elastic band. The elastic band was stapled to the wooden paddle and extended about three feet where it attached to the ball. The idea was to hit the ball with the paddle, then repeatedly hit it when the elastic brought the ball back. I loved practicing that skill.
Like the game of retrieving the ball to the paddle, I find many of us have practiced and perfected the same “skill” when giving our concerns to God. Anxiety in every form, be it worry, fear from the past, fear of the present, or fear for the future is like the ball; we “cast all [our] cares on Him…” only to retrieve them, time after time.
In the new year, 2024, when it comes to giving our cares and concerns to God, I invite you to join me in practicing the skill of another game called baseball. The “game” goes something like this: when Satan pitches the ball (every anxiety and concern) and it comes hurling toward you, swing the bat as hard as you can (speak God’s Word of truth), striking the ball firmly, then watch as it disappears into the clouds, where our compassionate and awesome heavenly Father catches every word. His love will sustain us until He brings us “home.”
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NKJV).
When the angel, Gabriel, revealed God’s divine plan to Mary, that as a young virgin, she would give birth to a son, God’s Son, we can only assume her perplexity of mind and heart at such an outrageous announcement, a miracle, in fact. Given the world of science in the 21st century, the idea of just about any feat being accomplished by human ingenuity seems almost reachable. But the odds of being “almost reachable” versus “nothing [is]…impossible” with God are vastly different.
Sometimes, perhaps, oftentimes in life you and I must face the reality of human frailty. Death, sickness, failure of character, mine, yours, or someone else’s, financial instability, fill in the blank, and the list goes on and on. We try hard to face our circumstances with courage to either accept or change whatever sense of futility challenges us, only to be met with new and more difficult challenges. Ask me how I know. If the world continues from today for ten thousand years, no matter how intelligent or clever humanity strives to become, only God can be credited with perfection and a record claiming one hundred percent achievement in His goals.
What obstacles are you facing today? Does a solution feel insurmountable? Even downright impossible? God of “the impossible” invites you to tell Him what is on your mind and heart. Oh, yes, He does already know what you’re thinking and the outcome, this is true, because God is omniscient; but He wants to hear from you, and just maybe, you will witness a miracle.
Read the words to one of my favorite hymns, In the Garden.
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses,
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing.
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
In the Garden, written by Charles A. Miles, 1913.
Sherry Sharp
P.O. Box 4233
Richmond, VA 23242
804-327-0710 ext. 6